Rememberance

[Gerald Lively]

Remember that extraordinary feeling that we could make the world a better place? It bloomed in millions of hearts and then died slowly.
I remember how it felt to dream of peace, to demand justice...and expect it. How easy it was then to look forward to a day when wrongs would be righted and peace would rightfully reign. Those dreams seem like cruel delusions now. To expect better, I suppose, was foolish.
But, we did make the world a better place. We spread ideas such as the evil.of animal cruelty, and now both India and China have SPCA organizations.  We changed racism from an acceptable idea to a despised one. We, and I mean you and I, helped end the Soviet Union.  We did more than I could write here.

I think of a million ancient tears, and how they ride,
Just beneath the surface of my leathery hard and horny hide.
We all just floating through here folks,
We all just floating thru.
* from Floating by Randall Allen Shields
 
 

[Rerun]

There is more to come.

               

[joval]

It's so good to see you.  I have been here, just to read your uplifting posts.  I have been looking for you and concerned about you.  Please let us know how you are doing.  My husband has been on dialysis for 3 years.  He has been to his D. appointments less and less.  He is down to a treatment when he feels like it.  Sometimes once in 8-9 days.  I don't know how to stay strong.......Love you, my uplifting friend.

[kristina]

Remember that extraordinary feeling that we could make the world a better place? It bloomed in millions of hearts and then died slowly.
I remember how it felt to dream of peace, to demand justice...and expect it. How easy it was then to look forward to a day when wrongs would be righted and peace would rightfully reign. Those dreams seem like cruel delusions now. To expect better, I suppose, was foolish.
But, we did make the world a better place. We spread ideas such as the evil.of animal cruelty, and now both India and China have SPCA organizations.  We changed racism from an acceptable idea to a despised one. We, and I mean you and I, helped end the Soviet Union.  We did more than I could write here.

I think of a million ancient tears, and how they ride,
Just beneath the surface of my leathery hard and horny hide.
We all just floating through here folks,
We all just floating thru.
* from Floating by Randall Allen Shields

Hello Gerald,
Yes, I do remember very well... all those public demostrations which were so very important to attend...
but I don't think it died slowly and I do hope, it is all still there somewhere...
... To expect better was certainly not foolish and many people still work on it, perhaps not in such a "loud demostrative" way any longer,
but even if and when people work on it in a small way, it still is very positive...
We also should not forget that meanwhile there are rigid laws agains animal cruelty, India and China are openly under constant observation
and there are meanwhile strict laws against racism ... and the Sowyet Union has changed into Russia again ...
... That just reminds me of a little joke: Alexey was asked where he was born and he answered : Saint Petersburg ... which
later changed into Petrograd and then into Leningrad... Then he was asked where he would like to live and he answered: Saint Petersburg... !
... When I visited the city, it was again Saint Petersburg and I was so happy to see and admire the most wonderful monuments and especially the Hermitage
which shows one of my favourite all-time paintings: Van Dycke's very first Self-portrait when he was a teenager under Ruben's tutorship ...
... To come back to your thoughts again: yes it is good to remember and it is good to see how much has been achieved ...
... and it is good that we all played our part in making it better... and of course, much more wants to be done and it will come along eventually...
Best wishes from Kristina

[kristina]

P.S. Before I forget to mention it:
When I grew up I learnt that the artist's name was "Van Dyke", or "Antoon van Dyck" or "van Dycke"
or "van Dike" or "Sir Anthony Van Dyck" or "Antonis van Dijck" etc.
In the Hermitage he is listed as "Anthony van Dyck" and the way he confidently looks "out of the painting"
directly into the eyes of the onlooker is one of those magical moments ...
In this self-portrait he comes over as very young (he was ~ 19 years old) and very enquirous, very untouched,
very sure of himself and at the same time very unsure of himself and, above all, very sensitive, almost oversensitive...
It is a fact that with this self-portrait of Anthony van Dyck the Hermitage houses one of the most magical self-portraits
and for many years this painting has been a reason for many people and artists (including myself) to travel all the way to Saint Petersbourg
in order to study this very magical self-portrait of Anthony van Dyck in the Hermitage ...
Unfortunately, in recent years there have been some people who tried to give this self-portrait their own strange and perhaps weird interpretations...
... But I have never allowed this to bother me. Fact is that this painting is one of the most fascinating self-portraits in the history of art ...

[Gerald Lively]

I woke up, then I checked, I was still alive.  So, I did the most obvious thing, I went back to sleep.  Thus is the freedom of retirement. 
Yesterday another member of my old military intelligence unit passed away.  This is getting to be a regular event.  Yep, we spied on everybody, China, Soviets, North Korea. All before Vietnam.  Once I was asked to monitor Sputnik and decifer the code it was sending.  I listened to it for a couple of days then reported; “It is saying Beep, Beep.” 
“What?””
“Beep, beep!”
And they called this “intelligence.
I verified that Gary Powers U2 was shot down, not really a big deal. It may have been historically important but that is all.  Then there was the time I found a real live spy.  I recorded his reporting. Finger printed his transmitter, got a direction finder fix on him, only to have the watch commander reject it all.  Intelligence!
So, I got out, went to college and got elected to Student Body President, carried a few signs and had one hell of a good time.  Then married my sweetie with who I just celebrated another anniversary on the 29th.
She pokes me with needles on Infusion Mondays, I complain and she says I’m a sissy.  But she does have big boobs. 
We are in our new house rebuilt since the 2008 forest fire and I am extraordinarily comfortable.  I sleep on a “Sponge-Bob Square Pants” bed and I get dinner served to me.  Once a day to go outside and water the veggies urging them to grow (some do, some don’t). 
Had a little cancer, had a little dialysis but those are toll booths on the road of life. 

[kristina]

I woke up, then I checked, I was still alive.  So, I did the most obvious thing, I went back to sleep.  Thus is the freedom of retirement. 
Yesterday another member of my old military intelligence unit passed away.  This is getting to be a regular event.  Yep, we spied on everybody, China, Soviets, North Korea. All before Vietnam.  Once I was asked to monitor Sputnik and decifer the code it was sending.  I listened to it for a couple of days then reported; “It is saying Beep, Beep.” 
“What?””
“Beep, beep!”
And they called this “intelligence.
I verified that Gary Powers U2 was shot down, not really a big deal. It may have been historically important but that is all.  Then there was the time I found a real live spy.  I recorded his reporting. Finger printed his transmitter, got a direction finder fix on him, only to have the watch commander reject it all.  Intelligence!
So, I got out, went to college and got elected to Student Body President, carried a few signs and had one hell of a good time.  Then married my sweetie with who I just celebrated another anniversary on the 29th.
She pokes me with needles on Infusion Mondays, I complain and she says I’m a sissy.  But she does have big boobs. 
We are in our new house rebuilt since the 2008 forest fire and I am extraordinarily comfortable.  I sleep on a “Sponge-Bob Square Pants” bed and I get dinner served to me.  Once a day to go outside and water the veggies urging them to grow (some do, some don’t). 
Had a little cancer, had a little dialysis but those are toll booths on the road of life.

Hello Gerald Lively, it is always very interesting to read your witty thoughts ...
There is one question I would like to ask, if I may:
What precisely is the difference between military intelligence and "ordinary all day" intelligence?
Are they connected to different departments ...  or are they both working under one "regulatory department" 
and work together to share information etc. if there is a need to do so?
... And are the people who work within the military section chosen differently {because of a military background etc. (if that is so)}
to the people connected to and working for the "allround day-to-day" intelligence?
Thanks from Kristina.

[Gerald Lively]

You asked what the difference between military intelligence and run of the mill intelligence.
I was in the Army.  How is that?  Huh?  Want more?
I was in the Army on loan to the NSA for the purpose of monitoring, signals from China, North Korea, and occasionally Russia (Soviets) over eastern Russia.  We copied, located and radio-finger printed everything.  Some other Dude broke the codes.  This Army unit doesn't exist any longer.  I spent time in Japan and some short assignments in Laos where I, unfortunately, did some real soldier stuff.  I kept my head down at the appropriate times.
Recently I had the occasion to request through the Freedom of Information Act, documents about the unit I served in.  The letter in the return mail told me that unit didn't exist now or at any other time.  That ought to tell you what sort of work we did.
By the way, all of this stuff is classified.  If you tell anyone I will have to shoot you.
It is all true.

[kristina]

Hello Gerald Lively,
Thank you for this interesting information...
... I have just looked up on "Google" what "NSA" really means and the provided information explains a little :
"NSA - the United States cryptologic organization that coordinates and directs highly specialized activities
to protect United States information systems and to produce foreign intelligence information"...
... It sounds like a very interesting activity, where "initiative & coordination" seem to be all-important,
or perhaps even life-important "tools" ...?
... I am now left wondering what precisely "to produce foreign intelligence information" in the officially given explanation means,
but perhaps that is also left to one's own interpretation?
Thanks again from Kristina.

[Gerald Lively]

Google "Operation White Star.  After that Google "14th USASA""

[kristina]

Google "Operation White Star.  After that Google "14th USASA""

Thank you Gerald Lively for these fascinating links... they give me lots to read about
and they are certainly a very interesting study !
Thanks again from Kristina.   

P.S. Have you been thinking of writing a book or is it still "classified" ?